118D LEGAL UPGRADES

Popsicles89

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BMW 118d
Hi all, looking to take my 118d up to 300hp it's on a stage 1 with 190-210hp I have high flow dpf 'not dpf delete' still have my egr. So I'm looking for upgrades to do on the engine to get thr magic 300hp for example can I put twin turbo on it? Any help welcome I am not buying a 123d so if you going to say that keep it to yourself please.
 
Installing a twin turbo is like a $4,000-$10,000 job. There is no cheaper way to do it.

Watch these guys install a turbo and understand that even them: with a FULL shop with lifts, degrees from automotive training institutes, and a flow of money from their show, along with 8 or so guys to help STILL struggled to put in turbos.


It is not a one man job, for a person with little experience. It is something that you need thousands to do and experience to get done properly.

I wish it were easier my friend, but there is a reason it is so hard to get more horsepower.

There are other ways to grab 20-40 horsepower here and there, porting and polishing the engine block, etc. But are you comfortable opening the block and do you have the tools and expertise to port and polish properly?

Adding horsepower is not easy. But everyone has to start somewhere.

Just keep in mind this is not something you can do for hundreds. Its going to be thousands of dollars to be adding real horsepower.

If you lack experience, add much more to that number because mistakes in this area will be expensive, when parts get broken or damaged or mis-installed, the results can be catastrophic. Eg. Can you imagine installing new engine block or rebuilding after it is blown?

So yes, you can add horsepower, but this is not a cheap hobby unfortunately.

So yes, if you wanted the easiest, cheapest way to do it, you should have bought the higher horsepower vehicle in the beginning, that came that way from the factory. That is the cheapest, easiest, most direct way.

I know its hard to hear, but its the truth.

Watch the donut media video and see exactly what Im talking about. This stuff is no easy task.

There are unfortunately no easy, cheap shortcuts to 100 horsepower gains.

Though everyone has to start somewhere. If you are determined, start reading books by James Halderman about engines and getting to know how they work.

Start watching turbo install videos on YouTube.
And start saving up, because even a single turbo kit for a BMW 118D is going to cost you about $2000 plus shipping minimum


And that does not include all the tools you may need to invest in, including likely an engine hoist and engine stand (in the U.S. you can actually grab both from harbor freight for likely under $500) among many others.

But the knowledge is important. If you fire this entire setup up for the first time and it blows, you are now burned on like $2000 minimum + engine itself potentially, and a new engine for a low end BMW is like $12,000 from BMW


Unless you are going salvage for a new engine, which is a total crapshoot. Would not ever go for a salvage engine unless you plan on totally refabbing/refurbishing/rebuilding it.

So these are all things to consider. Yeah man, its gonna be expensive. Can you do it? With enough money, knowledge found/gained, and perseverance and inspiration, you sure can, but you are going to need money, space (an empty garage a larger one preferably to pull an engine) to do so and get ready for setbacks.

You would not get something done like that in a week alone. Donut media barely got it done in a week, working all day (its their day job) with lifts and multiple guys and expertise to some degree.

Be ready to be working on your car for like a month, or two or more, because unforseen things like part shortages from BMW, (when you break a small part accidentally, etc) will definitely hold you back.

Good luck my friend. I hope you can see what you are getting yourself into.

Anything is possible but you must be realistic.
 
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Fuelling, clutch and head strength are all going to need addressing if you hike the power that much. I would also recommend forged parts, power tends to highlight any weak spot in an engine.
 
A lot has been said already and it's all relevant, but it doesn't stop there either.

For 300 horse you are going to need to change out near everything, you will need a quality crank and bearings to match, plus high tensile bolts. Forged pistons and rods. Bluprinting the motor would be the best route for continued reliability and a high volume oil pump and cooler., on top of the head work. You would also need to have a tuned exhaust with headers to feed a huge hybrid turbo. Larger injectors, with a suitable delivery pump.

But now we have a 300 hp engine, what about the cooling, much bigger radiator and an intercooler.

Now the transmission.... What box for this engine will regularly and confidently cope with 300 plus horse and the insane tourqe, propshfaft upgrade and rear end (diff and axles) the we just need to get it to stop. Six pot calipers all round with 360 mm plus discs and racing pads, and a hose kit.

We should be getting close now. Have you ever been in a 300 hp car?

Usually they are quite large and low and wide. To make them stick to the road, so one final step is to sort out the suspension, not just bolt on some bits, but properly design a suspension system that will keep you and others safe.

My friend, its an excellent idea, and many of us love the idea of achieving such a beautiful thing but you are going to need a bank roll that will be 100k easy, a shed load of knowledge or access to. And patients, late nights and no life.

I used to build drag race motors and I had no other life, access to a machine shop and workshop, and it was tough work. But I loved it, but as its been said before : can you imagine completing it and in three months or six months it goes bang.

I have experienced this : back in the days of street racing. (1970s) I flew off the lights on green, dug in and launched well, 1st gear up to the red line went for second, released the clutch and the pressure plate didn't bite hard enough and slipped, just for a split second but long enough to allow the motor to over rev by loads... No limiters in those days. There was an almighty bang, the other car disappeared and I clattered to a halt, bits of engine trailing me along the road.

Opening the bonnet there was hole big enough to put two hands in. It had thrown no. 2 rod out the side, destroyed the block, the cam was in three bit strewn along the road with rockers all over, along with my precious roller tapets, a new tech back then.... Oil and water and fuel all over.... I sat on the kerb and cried.

Back in then this motor cost me 3600 bucks and I had all the gear and knowledge, I earned 60 bucks a week, so it was over a years wages, everything was trade price and machining, balancing etc came for free, and it just went to the scrappy.....the only thing salvaged was the carbs.... The only part safe enough to reuse.

Have fun and enjoy my friend, but big horses come with big prices... No just money.
 
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Popsicle You have just got the best advise so proceed with the full knowledge and possible result.
 
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